| Malaysia: The rebirth of reformasi |  |  |  |
| Posted by labisman | |
| Wednesday, 12 March 2008 | |
| by Kazi Mahmood They argue that if Anwar had managed to build a united coalition, the BN might have bitten the dust in more states and lost power altogether. The only chance the BN had in these elections was that Anwar was not allowed to be a candidate and had he been on the list of the PKR as such, chances are that the BN would have lost heavily all over Malaysia, said the experts contacted by phone from our current post in Dakar. Dakar, Senegal – 10th March: Malaysia has made a big step in the democratic world with a forceful message from a large section of the population, denying the ruling coalition a 2/3rd majority. The ruling coalition has lost 5 states thanks to big wins by powerful opposition group headed unofficially by Anwar Ibrahim; former deputy Prime Minister during the time of Tun Mahathir Mohamed. A vote for change and a punishment – long overdue says observers – for the Barisan Nasional (BN) is now seen by political observers as the return of Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysian politics. Written as obsolete and outdated or unwanted by Malaysians, Anwar has now proven that he is a formidable opponent to the government and represents the new era for Malaysia. Besides Anwar’s victory, the vote shows a rejection of the ‘Islam Hadari’ concept promoted by Abdullah Badawi’s government with the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) winning more states and more Parliamentary seats. It is also a big victory for the Democratic Action Party (DAP) which now controls the Penang State Assembly, defeating the government’s ruling coalition. The results are shockingly gruesome for the BN and a slap in the face for the leaders of the racial based coalition. It proves that Anwar Ibrahim is armed with great strategies and will continue to be a bleeding wound in the Umno’s otherwise untouchable might. Not surprisingly, the opposition is today positioned as a real alternative to the present government and could easily topple the regime in the next general elections, experts told WFOL from Dakar, Senegal. The opposition should now press for the reviewing and amendment of the Newspapers and Periodicals Act in the Parliament. It should also strive for the Suhakam, the official human rights organization to act with more freedom and without hindrances from the authorities. |
No comments:
Post a Comment